Windmill



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G. W. WHITEHEAD WINDMILL Filed June 26. 1924 zak Patented Apr. 12, 1927.

UNITED STATES;

GEORGE w. WHITEHEAD, or VINCENNES, INDIANA.

WINDMILL.

`Application filed June 26, 1924. Serial No. 722,589.

This invention' relates to wind-mills and its objectis to provideimproved and simplified mechanism for regulating the operation of millsof this character and controlling the power delivered thereby. The-objects and advantages of the invention will be more fully understoodfrom the following specification, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings forming part thereof and in Which:

F ig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved construction, the towerlbeing partially broken away;

Fig. '2 :is an enlarged elevationof a portion of the structure;

vFig'. 3 is -a plan view .partly in section showing the structureillustrated -in Figure 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross section substantially on the line 1--4 off Figure 3;

F ig. y5 is a `plan vview of the mechanism appearing at the top ofFigure v2l, parts be.- .ing-broken away; Y l

Fig. 6 Vis a section on Vthe line 6- 6 of Figure 3. i

:Referring to the drawingsvindetail 10 indicates thetower of 'the millwhich may be of any suitable height andconstruction.y A post or pedestal11 is rotatably mounted in thetower =10 and preferably supported uponanti-friction bea-rings (not shown). The pedestal which may beof anydesired'shape in cross section extends for some distance above the tower`andalsofor some distance down into the tower so that the vsame issecurely braced against lateral movement relative lto 'the tower and thebearings .for the same are preferably placed at points A and Brespectively at the topof the tower and `at #the lower 'end of the postorpedestal. Thewind-wheel 12 ismounted on the Apedestal 11., this wheelbeing secured to :a hori- -zontal shaft 13 journalledin suitablebearings'on the pedestal. A -beyelgear 14 is sei' cured to the shaft v13 and,meshes with a `second "bevel-gear 15 lsecured 4to a vertical .sl-raftwhich extends wdown'ward'ly through :the pedestallfl xand is rotatablyy'supported jthere-in. This-shaft 16 transmits the fpower from `thewind-wheel L12 yto Aany suitable ypower 1'tranemitting mechanism at Athebottom 'of the tower such for eXa-mple,w=as the bevel gears 17 land 17aNvand sha*ft17 b. n

A vane 18 is pivotally connected tat T18a to the pedestal 11 oppositethe wind-wheel 12. The vanel8 may be locked to the ipedestal in a planeparallel to the plane of the wind-wheel 12. To :accomplish this, a lever1-9 is pivoted at one end to the pedestal 11 and at its lopposite endengages a vertical sliding boltv20 mounted in suitable guide 2l andsurrounded by a spring V22. which forces the same upwardly. Secured tothe vane 18 is a perforated lug or keeper 23, into the opening` of whichthe bolt 2O is adapted lto be forced bythe spring 22 when the vane is ina position substantially parallel with the plane of the wheel 12. Thebolt 20 may be manipulated from the bottom yof the tower by -meansof awire or rod'2/1 which is connected to lan intermediate part of the lever19 and extends vdownwardly along the pedestal 11 to a convenient point4to -b'e igrasped by the operator. It will be understood that the -rod:or wire 24 lies close :to the pedestal 11 so that it does not interferewith the rotation of the latter inthe tower.

Vhen the 'bolt 2O is withdrawn from the l -lreeper 23, it will beunderstoodthat the vane 18 may move 'freely relative to the pedestal11.. Inother words, the vane 11 is normally ffree to move about itspivot and willeXer-t .an viniuence on the .pedestal and wheel 12 onlywhen it is locked to the pedestal. For purposes which will later appearit is `desirable at times to 'rotate the pedestal y1151 and lock thesame in a desired position. To 'this end, av gear wheel25 is `rigidlysecured 'to the pedestal '11 Lpreferably `at the top iof the tower 10.Avpinion 26 `is arranged y--a 'i`jacent the gear wheel 25,this ,pinionVbeing ysecured to an operating rod l`or shaft 27 which extendsdownwardly through suitable *bearb ings toor near -the bottom of thetower and l-to the lower end of which is secured a hand wheel 28 whichserves as -means for rotating the rod 27 and the pinion T26. The .rod-27is movable endwise. Vlien in its lowered :position the spokes of thewheel 28gare adapted yto engage between upstanding lugs '291l on a block29-secured=to a cross piece of Ythe tower vor other suitable support.serves to hold the rod 27 and pinion 2G Vagainst rotation. It willbeunderstood that the lugs 29 are =off such height that when 'the handwheel 28, shaft 27 fand pinion 26 lare lifted or moved upwardly, thewheel 28 will be disengaged or -freedfi'om the lugs 29 while thepinio'n26 is still in mesh with the gear wheel 25. henthe parts are thuspartially lifted the hand wheel 28 may be rotated to rotate theshaft 27,its gpinion 26,

'this ltl the gear wheel 25, and the pedestal 11. lilhen desired theshaft 27 may be lifted to a point where the pinion QG will be entirelydisengaged from the gear wheel 2:5. To facilitate raising and lowering;ot the shaft 27 and the parts connected thereto, I provide a lever.pirotally connected at 3l to a standard 32 mounted on a cross piece otthe tower or on any other suitable support. The short end tl* of thislever is tiorled, as indicated lnirtieularly in liiggures Sl and ti, andsuch :forked portion engages over the rod 2T beneath the hub ot the handwheel 2h. The lona' end Iitlb ol this lever tt) is; adapted to el ranehooks or keepers 2&3, lt secured to a lined standard 35.' lt will heapparent; that when the long end olt the lever ltl is torceddownwardl);v the rod and connected parts will be lilted and vice `versa.The parts are so proportioned that when the lever 30 is engaged beneaththe hoolt 33, the hand wheel will be iree iironi the lugs 29 but thepinion o will still be in mesh fith the `gear wheel lint when the leverSt) moved sutiieiently to engage the hook il, the pinion 2h will beentirely out ot mesh with the gear wheel wWhen in its lowered positionthe lower end ol `the rod 2i" rests in a snel-:et or beating titlpreferably lorxned in the bleek 2S).

'lllie-(ngieration of the device is briefly as follows: iii/hen thepinion 26 is raised so as to be completely out ot mesh with the gearwheel E25 and the Vane 1S is locked to the pedestal l1, as indicated inFigure 5, the Vane will serve to hold the wind-wheel out of' the wind.Villien so arranged all of the parts including the pedestal ll are treeto rotate and the inill is in its inoperative condition. `lVhen thepinion Qt is lowered and brought into mesh with the gear wheel 25 by:raising the lever 3l) and permitting the spokes ol" the hand wheel 22Sto engage the lugs 919 the pedestal and parte` connected therewith willbe held against rotation. ,ln other words, the pedestal will be lookedin position. then il: is desired to rotate the pedestal ll so as tobrina` the wind-wheel t2 into or out ot the wind, the lever it) isdepressed until it; will engage the keeper 33t. At such time thehandwluel 28 will be lifted above the lugs 29 but the pinion Q6 willstill be in mesh with the gear wheel so that by rotating' the hand wheelQS the pedestal ll may be turned to any desired position atter which thelever itl may again be raised and the hand wheel Qt perniittiul toreengage with the lugs QW. ln ease it is desired to coinpletely tree thepinion 2G lroxn the gear wheel the lever P is depressed to its limit andis engaged with the keeper l-fl. linen it is desired to bring the vaneinto the position shown in Figure 5 it is only necessary to rotate thepedestal 1l as previously described, until the wind strikes against theside of the vane and the latter will be forced into the position shownin Figure 5 when the bolt 2t) may be manipulated by means ot the wire 2ito engage the keeper It will thus be seen that I have provided anarrangement by which the wind-wheel l2 may be treed troni the influenceot the Vane l'o and the wheel turned into the wind any desired amount sothat the amount ott power delivered by the wheel may be regulated,assuming that the wind remains in the same direction. lVhen the wind isnot too strong the wind-wheel l2 may ol course be turned into positionto squarely tace the wind. In euse the wind becomes too strong, thewheel l2 by nie/ans ot the pinion E2G maybe turned more or less out' ot'the wind and looked in any position desired by the wheel 58 and the lugsEtr. And when it is not desired to use the inill the pinion may bedisengagged troni the gear wheel and the vane. 1S may be locked to thepost or pedestal ll in which position the vane will serve to lteep thewind-wheel l2 out ot the wind at all times.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. In a windmill, a tower, a pedestal rotatably supported thereon, ahorizontal shalt carried by the upper end o said pedestal, a wind wheelsecured to said shaft, a Vertical shaft arranged in said pedestal, gearmechanism between said shafts, a vane pivotally connected to saidpedestal and normally free to move relative to said pedestalhorizontally, means tor locking said vane to said pedestal in a planeparallel to the plane of said wind-wheel, a gear wheel secured to saidpedestal, a pinion :tor sad gear wheel rotatably supported on saidtower, means tor moving said pinion into or out of mesh with said gearwheel and means :for rotating said pinion to cause rotation of saidpedestal in the tower.

il. ln a windmill, a tower, a pedestal rotatably supported therein, aWhitt-wheel earried by said pedestal. a gear wheel rigidly secured tosaid pedestal, a pinion rotatably supported on said towe' and movableinto and out ot iuesh with said gear wheel, a rod or shaft rigidlysecured to said pinion and extending downwardly therefrom, a hand wheelYfor rotating said shaft and pinion, upwardly extending spaced lugssecured to a tower traine below7 the hand wheel for locking said handwheel against rotation, a lever for raising and lowering said sha'lt andpinion, means for holding said lever in a position where said hand wheelwill be tree from said lugs while said pinion and gear wheel are stillin mesh, and means ior holding said hand wheel `in a. position wheresaid pinion will be entirely out of mesh. with said gear wheeland saidpedestal lree to rotate.

tlf)

ltlt) 3. In a windmill, a tower, a pedestal rotatably supported therein,a windwheel carried by said pedestal, a vane pivotally connected to saidpedestal and normally free to move relative to said pedestal, a gearwheel rigidly secured to said pedestal, a pinion rotatably supported onsaid tower and movable into and out of mesh with said gear wheel, a rodor shaft rigidly secured to said pinion and lextending downwardly there-Jfrom, a hand wheel for rotating said shaft and pinion, upwardlyextending spaced lugs secured to the tower i'rame below the hand wheelfor locking said hand wheel against rotation, al lever igor raising andlowering said shaft and pinion, means for holding said lever in aposition where said hand wheel will be free from said lugs while saidpinion and gear wheel are still in mesh, means for holding said handwheel in a position where said pinion will be entirely out of mesh withsaid gear wheel and ;-said pedestal free to rotate, and means forlocking said vane to said pedestal in a plane parallel with the plane ofsaid wind-wheel.

4. In a wind-mill, a tower, a pedestal rotatably supported in the upperportion thereof, a wind-wheel carried by said pedestal, a gear wheelrigidly secured to said pedestal adjacent the top of said tower, apinion rotatably supported on said tower and movable into and out ofmesh with said gear wheel, a rod or shaft secured to said pinion andextending downwardly to a point adjacent the bottom of said tower, ahand wheel for rotating said rod, lugs or projections for engaging andpreventing rotation of said hand wheel when said rod is in its lowermostposition, said lugs being of such height that said hand wheel may bemoved upwardly out of engagement therewith while said pinion is still inengagement with said gear wheel, whereby said gear wheel and pedestalmay be rotated to any desired position, a lever for raising and loweringsaid rod, and means for holding said lever in a position where said handwheel will be free from said lugs and said pinion partially in mesh withsaid gear wheel or in a position where said pinion will be entirely freefrom said gear wheel.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiX my signature.

GEORGE IV. WIIITEHEAD.

